32 Ford Steering

32Gnu

32Gnu

Senior Member
Here is a pic of the steering box in my 32.
I need to decide to keep the box or what?
I dont know if you can see in the pic but the piece that bolts to the bottom is missing and there are a couple of wires hanging out..

Is the box a decent piece;worth redoing or should I be looking for something else? I am not going to run the original headlight switch.. I plan on running a seperate switch but without the bottom piece it looks like the oil would just run out.. I could make a block off of the box is decent..

Thanks guys.. oh and by the way... I have also attached a picture of the 8BA in its new position.. Thanks for all the HELP>>
 

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you up dated the eng you might as well up date the steering. if you want to keep side steering use the f1 box or the f100. you will love the ez steering ez to adapt to your car. or you can buy one all ready to install.
 
a MUCH better alternative [IMHO] to the f-1 or f-100 box is a `37 hudson steering box. ZERO alterations to the car, simple alterations to the box, net result, lower steering effort and much improved steering ratio. and only the most observant people would know the difference between the stock steering box and the replacement.
 
I'm building a '32 and I'm keeping the stock box. I opened it up and all looked pretty good inside, so I cleaned it up and reassembled it. Adjustment is kind of tricky but there are good references to the procedure. I'm also using a shorter (5") pitman arm and a draglink that's adjustable at both ends which helps with the adjusting. Don't have the car on the road yet, so I can't report on how it works. Going with the F1 box opens up issues with where the column comes through the floor, etc.
 
Well if I did want to keep the box as is, could i just blank off the bottom section where the old switch was to keep the oil in??
 
32Gnu said:
Well if I did want to keep the box as is, could i just blank off the bottom section where the old switch was to keep the oil in??
Click to expand...

That's what I did. I used the gasket that comes with a rebuild kit (I think I got mine from Mac's) and cut out a piece of 1/16" steel.
 
if you use the f100 steer shaft is in same location as orignal. you can even adpt the orignal light switch & horn rod & colum & lock. p.s 37 hudson steer box is a hard unit to find. & shaft & colum are different if you want to buy a f 100 unit all rebuilt & set up to drop in google model a only he makes a top shelf unit no core needed.also get a org tie rod shorten it thread 1 end & you hava a adj. drag link & you can fine tune the steering adjustments. j.m.o
 
Karl Wolf said:
F1 box has a shaft and pitmann size more suitable that the F100, in terms of size-scale... Karl
Click to expand...

...but the F-1 worm is below the sector gear (unlike original 32 AND F-100 which have the worm on top) so the location of the shaft and
column is "dropped down" and no longer comes through the firewall and floor in the same location AND need a longer column bracket
(drop) or must change the angle of the column, putting the wheel
too close to the windshield...

Ford used the same internals in the F-1 as 37-48, but had to put the
worm on the bottom or it would have steered backwards when used
with the side drag link instead of cross-steer.

Properly redone with new 15:1 gears (Argentina-made but seem to be good this time...) and add a sector seal and a solid plate on the
bottom (or a soldered oil tube and plate) and sealer between the
worm housing and sector housing, an original 1932 steering can be
very good, still reasonably quick, unlike the later gears which are
much slower, which, along with the roller sector gear, are why they are easier to steer.
 
I ran an ad for a 37 Hudson and thru this forum found one. It's dam near a bolt on in a deuce. Just enlarge the hole and redrill 1 mounting hole. Still have'nt had time to see if the early ford pitman arm fits like some on the HAMB and the Barn have suggested.
 
hotcoupe said:
a MUCH better alternative [IMHO] to the f-1 or f-100 box is a `37 hudson steering box. ZERO alterations to the car, simple alterations to the box, net result, lower steering effort and much improved steering ratio. and only the most observant people would know the difference between the stock steering box and the replacement.
Click to expand...

Hotcoupe, can you find me a '37 Hudson steering box????????
 
Richard has the best solution! I have a 32 with the original 13-1 gear that actually steers well. If you are going to rod your car then a change would be in order especially with larger tires. Changing the gear brings on a lot of other things beside alignment, shaft length, light switch, clocking correctly and so on. If it is still a flathead powered 32 then it may not be too far butchered to be a good car.
 
13:1 original 32 box with needle bearings installed and I like it very well. I have several f1 and f100 boxes and it wasn't worth the trouble to me. I like the way my car steers. it's a high boy with 600x16's on the front. You might try the 32 box and see if you like it. if you don't then you can look for something else.
 
MANY 32-34 steerings are wrongly condemned because the owner either does not understand the adjustment procedure, and/or a LF hairpin or other adaptor (made wrong) is being used, screwing up the steering center vs. front wheel centering, leaving slop in the steering gear when the front wheels are straight ahead, and there is no provision for adjusting the draglink length. Done right, especially with 15:1 gears, they work very well. Wider tires on the
front is not a good idea though...
 
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